The Persian Empire expanded from Africa to China and also to India, until Alexander the Great came along. Persians have a long and eventful history. The Shah of Persia, in the 1930s, changed the name of the country back to its original name, "Iran".

Iran means "the land of the Aryans". So Hitler and all his little Nazi friends were quite awfully wrong in calling themselves Aryans. The closest people of Aryan decent are Iranians and Afghanis and they certainly do not have blue eyes, blond hair and white skin.

As a result of mass integration of various cultures from around the Middle East area, Iranians nowadays are multiracial, but they still take great pride in their country.

Persia was a very rich country, and to some extent, it still is. But the majority of people in Iran are of lower class. However, most Iranians are hard-working and very motivated people. When they immigrate to other countries, a lot of them lead a good lifestyle because they work hard to earn a high status in society. Persians do not settle for anything but first place.

Lots of Persians who immigrate to new countries start out working in small businesses and often times, they start from scratch. They quickly work their way up. Persians are very hard working people.

Lifestyle: Depends on the person. A Persian can be poor, wealthy or of the middle class. There is no one single status that describes a Persian's lifestyle.

Religion: The official religion of Iran is Islam but there are also many other religions practiced by Persians, especially those living outside of Iran. These other religions include Bahai and Zoroastrian.

Are famous for: Their handcrafted rugs, poetry and cats. However, many people are naive to the fact that Persia used to be a great empire that ruled the vast land spanning across the middle east towards Africa and India. This land that the Persian King Dariush ruled over was called the "Aryan" land. Hitler messed up this term and referred to himself as Aryan and referred to Aryan as a race. This is very offensive to Persian culture. Aryan has nothing to do with Germans or Germany. Aryan is not even a race. It was used to refer to the land that the Persians lived on and. Aryan means "noble" in the ancient Persian language.

Physical features: Persian women are said to be some of the most beautiful women in the world. They are famous for their exotic looking eyes. In general, Persians have black hair, brown eyes, and light brown skin. However, this is just a generalization and it varies. There are some who have hazel eyes or brown hair, and some who have dark brown skin.

The Persian civilization was one of the first known civilizations of the early ages. If you ever get a chance to go to Iran, visit the ruins of Persepolis. It's beautiful.

Pretty much the Russians of the Middle-East. They drink like crazy, all the ones in America are ridiculously rich, they sure do like techno, and all their women are drop-dead gorgeous until they hit 30.

Though they are stereotyped as Arabs, Persians are not Arabs. Belly dancing, Islam, and riding camels is all Arabic stuff. Persians do not speak Arabic, they speak Persian. The reason for some Arab qualities of Persian culture today is because they were conquered by Arabs about 1300 years ago. Before that, Persia was like another Greece or Rome. They should be considered a European people. Persians to this day are still angry at Arab people for forcing Islam unto them and pretty much ruining the country forever. Quite frankly, calling a Persian dude "Arab" would be suicide.

Persian men are stereotyped as hairy, rich, long eyelashes, wears too much cologne, good grades, amazing at soccer, often mistaken to be Italian (sometimes taking advantage of this), and enormously faithful. Persian women are stereotyped as dark haired, long legged, and very closed off to dating outside their race, contrary to Persian men who probably date outside their race more often than not. Lying is one of the biggest taboos in Persian culture so if you happen to be going out with a Persian right now, rest assured he/she will NOT play around with others.

Up until the 1979 Islamic Revolution, Iran was just like any other country in Europe. But when the revolution came around in 1979-1980, Islamic radicals were in control. Women had to start covering themselves. Religious minorities were persecuted. Life was to be lived by the Koran. No one could get in, few could get out (but for the record, 100% of Persian-Americans came here legally. It's kinda hard to swim over 15,000 miles and sneak into the USA after that, ya know.). Every day Persian people around the world hope the current regime will fall one way or another.

A wonderful people with an awfully crappy government.

Persians can draw many parallels with Russians, from their love of alcohol, to the two country's revolutions which very few people really wanted.

Iranians/Persians living in the US are said to have some of these stereotypes (although I dont have most of them!)

1. at your party you play techno songs the whole freakin' night.
2. you drink tea at the end of the night to sober up
3. You remove the 318 emblem from your BMW and install M3 wheels on the car.
4. You brag to your friend that your BMW was shipped from Germany
5. You keep your black leather jacket on the whole night at the party
eventhough it's warm as hell
6. Your parents always call you to help them fill out form that are in English
7. Your parents always complain about the food at the local persian
restaurant eventhough they go there every weekend
8. All your persian friends are DJ's
9. You talk in an italian NY style dilect.."yo, ha yoo doin?"
10. After 15 years of marriage, your mother still calls your wife "Aroos"
11.If you talk behind your wife with your mother.
12. If you dress up to go to grocery store.
13. If you go to a concert but never see the singer and stay in the
hallways with your drink checking out girls.
14. You know Amoo Noo Ruz and Haji Firooz will start a light saber
fight with the Mullahs and restore the persian jedi order!
15. If you smoke five packs a day and tell everyone you don't smoke.
16. If you pronounce "Sure": SHOOR
17. If you are about 35 and have no hair on your head.
18. If you watch Iranian programs on TV, but always nag about them.
19. If you are good in playing backgammon and chess but can't do your taxes.
20. If you call a gas station: gas essteshen.
21. If you ask someone to marry and they want to know if you own a house.
22. If you divorce your wife but still don't let her date anyone else.
23. If your wife divorces you, but still goes shopping with your sister.
24. If you used to be a brain surgeon in Iran but now you work in a chelokababy.
25. If you carry 3 pagers and 2 cellular phone but nobody ever calls you.
26. If you claim your dad was a very good friend of the SHAH.
27. If you don't own a house and have no job but still can afford a BMW.
28. If you have to shave more than once a day.
29. If you were a 4 star general in Iran and now drive a cab in Washington,D.C.
30. If your inlaws come to visit but never leave.
31. When they ask "where are you from?" you reply...Italy!!..yet have
a "tasbeeh" in your hand.
32. Have rice with yogurt using a spoon and fight over its Tahdeeg.
33. Have an "Aaftaabeh in your Toilet" and if not...water in a milk
bottle will do just as good.
34. Invite friends over for dinner and buy Pizza, yet cook some extra
rice...just in case!
35. Believe no one else can make Kabaab better than us.
36. Watch Rugby Test Matches, yet play only soccer over the weekends.
37. Being addicted (so much) to "Tea " that you drink it in a big coffee mug.
38. complain about everybody's accent, but yours.
39. You have to be a Doctor or a Dentist. No other profession in the
world is any good.
40. Your future wife/husband must be Iranian.
41. Your Parents must first approve of all your girl/boy friends which
is usually settled by inviting them to Dinner.
42. You must be very strong in your Maths class.
43. You mustn't stay out at night beyond 12:00 even though you
probably break the curfew every time.
44. Even though you it takes 100 hours to say goodbye to everyone in a
party you must do it.
45. Even if you're not hungry you must eat dinner in a party otherwise
the host will get mad.
46. Parents must have an unconditional decision in every aspect of your life.
47. Your Parents keep telling you to learn from Reza and how amazing
he treats his parents.
48. You must drive under 2 miles per hour when your parents are in
your dad's New Mercedes with you driving.
49. You can stay at home living off your parents as long as you want.
50. When you have your arguments with your spouse you have your
parents to back you up when your living in their house.
51. Even when you move out to your new home, you mum comes and cooks for you.
52. You take over your dad's business when he retires and begin to
make your own business empire which can range from making bar-bari to
selling stolen BMWs.
53.You can play takhteh and shatranj and hokm with your grandad for
hours while watching NITV.
54. You can have 7 hour Iranian political conversations.
55. You know every single Iranian revolution conspiracy theory from
Carter to Mickey Mouse being involved.
56.You tell the story how you met a member of the Pahlavi family
57. You know the story how Khomeini is from Kashmir
58. You can sit with other Iranian fathers and boast about your children
59. You never miss the oppurtunity to tell an American that his
khakis, the maths he studies/words he uses, wine and beer he drinks
originates from Iran.
60.When your in a crisis your grandmother can blame your parents.
61. You're late to everything
62. Your car is a BMW not a ford.
63. Can't even organize a simple lunch with friends.
64.You refer to yourself as a Persian, not an Iranian
65. Your wardrobe consists of black, black, and more black
66. You have to explain to americans that a visa is not a credit card
67. You have an endless supply of pistachios, dates, and figs.
68. Your refer to your dad's friends as Amoo!
69. Your grandmother insists you eat something every time you visit her
70. Your parents say you're becoming Americanized anytime you get into trouble
71. You know Samad is funnier than Leno/Conan
72. You hug and kiss relatives you have never seen before in your life
73. You actually like carbonated yogurt drinks
74. You curse at your teachers or strangers in Farsi
75. You wonder whether a cute guy/ girl is Persian and go up to ask
her just to start a conversation
76. You flip out when someone mistakes you for a Mexican or Indian
77. You have to explain to all your friends that being Persian and
Iranian are the same thing
78. You have Thanksgiving dinner with rice and "khoresht."
79. After a family meal, the women fight to the death over who should
wash the dishes while the men sit on their behinds and play cards,
waiting for their tea.
80. your teacher pauses in the middle of attendance to ask how your
name is pronounced
81. your friends ask you to speak farsi
82. your teacher asks you to do a presentation about persia
83. your friends ask you why you don't have an accent
84. You bring your family of 11 to the Andy concert including 1
screaming baby, 2 whiny toddlers, 1 sulky teen-age son with a mustache
who will get into a knife-fight before the end of the night, 1
teen-age daughter whose skirts are getting shorter every day and who
will get at least three phone numbers before the end of the night, 1
unmarried torshideh daughter and 1 unmarried torshideh sister-in-law
who will get no phone numbers, 1 even more f.o.b. visiting male
mustachioed cousin, and 1 grandmother in roussari who has brought
along plastic bags full of pessteh and tokhmeh for the family to
consume for the night.
85. you love lavashak (Persian Fruit roll up)
86. your favorite part of eid (Persian New Year) is getting the money
87. you celebrate christmas even though your not christian
88. everybody makes you dance when theirs persian music at your relatives house
89. your dad is the master at making kabob
90. you have to go over your grandparents, aunts or uncles house constantly
91. you eat rice every day
92. if you have a talent you have to perform it in front of your relatives
93. your parents have the longest phone converstations
94. You start off every shopping purchase with..."I Vant Dat vOne"
95. You must constantly remind your non-persian friends to take off
they're shoes when they come to your house.
96. Waxing, Waxing, and Some more Waxing
97. Your parents always argue over who should pay for dinner
98. Your parents think everything is a conspiracy
99. You hate Alexander the Great
100. Your uncle has the longest eyebrow one could ever see.
101.One of your aunts put globs of mascara on
102. Your granparents come every other year to get money out of the bank.
103. All your jokes are targeted towards Afghans and Turks
104. Brag to everyone how you are from the true "Aryan" race
105. You drink so much chayee (tea) your piss is brown
106. You take Persian food to school or work to eat, even if it is cold kabob
107. You own a Persian pride hat, shirt, or an Iran jersey so everyone
knows you are Persian
108. You try to get hooked up with a discount when the owner of a shop
is Persian
109. You tell your friends that persians have the biggest "Goods"
110. You make your move on the blond; never the iranian
111. You refer to every other persian as a FOB.
112. You're always on the verge of trading in your Honda/Nissan for a
Bimmer or Mercedes
113. You think Black Cats have talent.
114. You think your uni-brow is sexy.
115. You celebrate when you receive your citizenship
116. You wish Waffle House had "kaleh pache" on the menu.
117. You can't sleep before 3 AM.
118. Your AOL screen name is a cute persian word
119. You only wear Adidas athletic wear.
120. You think Christine Amanpoor is sexy
121. Your cell phone has a stupid-ass ring.
122. You know how to flash your wallet and then put it back without paying.
123. You take dates out to chelo kabob
124. You order hot tea at Chili's
125. You own a fake Rolex, Omega, or TAG.
126. You only vacation in Miami or LA.
127. Your cologne precedes you into a room
128. You've been clubbing since you were 15.
129. You participate in gang bangs
130.If you leave your house at the exact time that the event you're
going to is supposed to start, no matter how far you live from the
place. (Known as PST - Persian Standard
131. If you call everyone you know as soon as there is an American
nightly news show doing a story about Iran or someone from Iran.
132. If you have lived in this country all your life, but you still
talk about the revolution as if you were there
133. everyone you know had a nose job and dyed their hair blond after
the revolution.
134. Your family still wants to go back to iran for visits after all
has happened.
135. Your grandparents still want to bring dates and dried cranberreis
from iran.
136. You call iran "Iroon" and you think salar should become Prez of Persia.
137. You thought that Dr. Kavita Rao in X-Men: The Last Stand sounded
familiar to you and looked pretty cute in that nurse outfit. aka...
Shohreh Aghdashloo